Marcia Gay Harden: Why She Said Yes To ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’

Marcia Gay Harden is heating up theaters in “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

On Friday, the actress stopped by Access Hollywood Live to discuss accepting the part of Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey in “Fifty Shades of Grey,” and whether she had read E.L. James’ novel.

“I’d heard of it. My sister, who lives in San Francisco, had read it and when she heard I was going in for the role, she came through the telephone and said, ‘You’re playing that role,'” Marcia told host Kit Hoover and guest co-hosts Holly Robinson Peete and Dave Karger. “Then I did the research and then I read it and I said, ‘Okay, I can be Mama Grey.'”

PHOTOS: ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’ Premieres Around The World

The Oscar-winner also touched on how much Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan leaned on director Sam Taylor-Johnson for comfort and guidance while filming the movie’s steamy scenes.

“What they have to do together…is so private, so personal. I think really they were looking to Sam for that safety,” she said. “That’s what you want. I mean, mostly when you’re doing sex scenes in a film…it’s technical.”

WATCH: Marcia Gay Harden: Has She Seen ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’ Yet?

During the interview, Dave asked if part of the appeal of the project for Marcia was the fact that “Fifty Shades” has so many women involved (author, director and Dakota’s character arc).

“I think women learning [and] girls learning how to say, ‘No,’ is really important,” she replied. “And, I mean, this is an extreme example of it, but learning where your boundaries are, that’s what we want our young daughters to know.”

The actress also just wrapped a guest-starring role on the television show “How To Get Away With Murder” as Hannah Keating, the sister-in-law of Viola Davis’ character Annalise Keating.

“I’m a fan of the show, but I’m a bigger fan of Viola,” Marcia said of her co-star. “She’s a powerhouse and she brought so many levels to her performance.”

WATCH: ‘HTGAWM’ Cast Reacts To NAACP Image Awards Win

“Fifty Shades of Grey” is now in theaters. “How To Get Away With Murder” airs Thursdays at 10/9c on ABC.

Paige Feigenbaum

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